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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Memo Underscores Trump Administration’s All-Fronts War on Wildlife
Brian Nesvik, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, issued a memorandum explaining to FWS staff that the Endangered Species Act’s prohibition on unauthorized “take” applies only to affirmative acts intentionally and purposefully directed at a particular animal. This follows the Trump administration’s rescission of the regulatory definitions of “harm” under the ESA, which took effect this week.
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Court Rules Habitat Must Be Protected After FWS Attempts to Waive Protections for Less Than 40 Sierra Nevada Red Fox
Defenders of Wildlife earned a significant victory for the Endangered Species Act today when a federal district court found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to not designate critical habitat for the endangered Sierra Nevada red fox was a violation of the law.
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Construction on Gateway to Road through Izembek Continues
The Ninth Circuit today denied Defenders of Wildlife’s emergency motion to halt construction on King Cove Corp.’s 2.8-mile road segment leading to the doorstep of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Defenders’ request for immediate injunctive relief marks the latest stage in its larger effort to block a damaging and precedent-setting road from King Cove to Cold Bay, Alaska, that would plow through the heart of Izembek.
Press Releases
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Groups File First Environmental Lawsuit Vs. Trump Offshore Drilling Order
Today, groups concerned about the threats from offshore drilling filed the first environmental legal challenge against the new Trump administration. One group is challenging an
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Defenders' Statement on Trump Nominee for Director of Bureau of Land Management
“The administration’s nomination of Kathleen Sgamma represents a threat to the conservation of our nation’s public lands and wildlife."
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Defenders Statement on ‘Restoring Energy Dominance’ Hearing
The House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources today held a hearing taking aim at science and longstanding legal protections for U.S. coastal waters, as
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Burgum Signs Orders That Will Destroy Wildlife, Protected Places
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum yesterday issued a series of secretarial orders that are an attack on the Endangered Species Act, migratory bird protections and federal
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Historic Transfer Brings Yellowstone Bison to First Nations in Canada
A family group of Plains bison were moved across the U.S.-Canadian border this week as a gift from the Fort Peck Tribes in Montana to
jcovey@defenders.org
